There are many commercial and military applications of reed switches. One specific application is the use of a reed switch to provide valve position feedback information on aircraft. However, a known problem with reed switches is a predisposition towards failing in the high vibration environments that aircraft encounter during operations. Rotating equipment such as motors, engines, actuators and gearing can all generate vibrations and introduce other harmonic disturbances that can cause numerous problems with reed switches and cause them to fail. Deleterious consequences such as switch bounce and hot latching are very environmentally sensitive phenomena, where small changes in response characteristics or differing vibration inputs can significantly affect ultimate performance.
One particular application of the reed switch is to provide a positive indication of the status (e.g., open or closed) of a fuel valve that regulates the flow of fuel to an engine. If mechanical latching or sticking occurs between the electrical contacts of a reed switch, an indicator may yield a faulty reading indicating a disagreement or mismatch between an intended command and a valve position.
Therefore, it is desirable to have a reed switch assembly that can operate in hostile environments and eliminate or reduce the harmful effects of the operational environment, such as vibration, upon reed switch operation.